


Speed Dating

by Ishxallxgood, stratumgermanitivum



Category: Adam (2009), Charlie Countryman (2013), Hannibal Extended Universe - Fandom, Spacedogs - Fandom
Genre: Accidental Dom Adam, Accidental Voyeurism, Adam and Beth are friends, Cafe meeting, Claiming, Love at First Sight, M/M, Meet-Cute, Meet-cute more like Meet-fuck, Nigel just wants to give him the world, These Two have Zero Chill, biting kink, they switch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-05-30 22:47:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19412974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ishxallxgood/pseuds/Ishxallxgood, https://archiveofourown.org/users/stratumgermanitivum/pseuds/stratumgermanitivum
Summary: Meet-cute prompt #116: Although A normally goes to the cafe on Thursday evenings, A’ssiblingfriend had called in tears, and s/he had been forced to miss it. So instead A goes the next evening, sitting down at a table with a fresh cup of tea, and then abruptly realized that Friday night was Speed Dating night as B slides into the chair opposite and says, “They say you and I only havefiveten minutes, but I can tell we’re going to need longer.”Adam and Nigel fall for each other within minutes of knowing each other.  Who knew love at first sight actually existed.Smut happens in Chapter 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ish here, so Strats and I have finally decided to go for it, and RP'd Spacedogs. We hope you enjoy this. These boys have zero chill and we had absolutely no control over them. They are ridiculous. 
> 
> Adam = ishxallxgood  
> Basically everyone else = stratumgermanitivum

Adam glanced over at the clock, leg bouncing impatiently as he held the phone up to his ear. He knew he should be paying closer attention to what Beth was saying, but it was already getting late and if he didn't leave soon he would miss his window of opportunity for his weekly Thursday night outing. 

Honestly, Beth should have known better than to have called on a Thursday night. She knew Thursday was cafe night. He had told her multiple times.

It turns out Beth had completely forgotten that Thursday was cafe night. She was too wrapped up in tearful outrage, pacing her apartment with the phone pressed to her damp cheek. It had been a nice place once, when she first moved in, but now it felt empty and awkward without being able to walk over and find Adam any time she needed him. And she needed him right now, he was the only one who listened to her.

"And he said my book was terrible!" Beth yelled. "Terrible! My book! You know how much work I put into that book, Adam, you've read it! And that review was in the newspaper, thousands of people read it!"

Adam sighed, eyes darting over to the bookcase. "Your book wasn't terrible," Adam said, fingers tapping idly at the back of his phone. "But it wasn't terribly good either. The amount of work you put into it doesn't necessarily correlate to how good a book would be. Besides, I still don't understand why they had to talk. Or have jobs."

Beth flinched. She tried not to let Adam's words get to her - he was Adam, after all, he just didn't understand things like kids books - but they hurt anyway. "It's a great book," she said defensively. "And it's for children, Adam! Children love it when animals talk and have jobs and... and do real people things!" 

Beth glared across the room, hot, angry tears filling her eyes. "Can't you just support me in this? You're supposed to be my friend." This was, perhaps, a bit manipulative, but Beth was feeling a bit too worked up to be reasonable at the moment. Everything seemed justified when you were having a crisis.

"I am your friend Beth," Adam said, taken slightly aback. Why would Beth think he wasn't? Because he thought her book wasn't terribly good? But if he told her it was good he'd be lying to her, and wouldn't  _ that _ make him a bad friend? Lying. He wants to support her though, because she did work hard. 

"I don't know what you want me to say," he said, glancing over at the clock again. "I'm really sorry that your date disliked your book. And that he felt the need to tell you it was terrible, and then write about it in the paper. That was a terrible thing to do. Especially to someone you are dating. The book isn't even bad, if it were, the publishers wouldn't have financed it. So clearly someone liked your book and thought it was great."

Beth settled a bit, soothed by Adam's words. She sighed, slumping onto the couch. "It is a terrible thing to do to a date, isn't it? God, I should just give up on men entirely. No offense," she added sheepishly. 

"None taken," Adam said, wondering why she thought he'd be offended. Beth's sexual preference had nothing to do with him.

"But you're right! I got published, and I have thousands of kids reading my book! It's a wonderful book!" Beth grinned, suddenly reenergized. "In fact, I just got an idea for a sequel! And it's going to be great. You're the best, Adam. I don't know what I would do without you."

"You would probably continue to cry, and then still write another book about talking raccoons," Adam offered, leg bouncing faster. It was already eight forty. The cafe closes in twenty minutes and it would take him at least ten minutes to walk there. Thursday evening cafe night was a wash. It was disappointing that he had missed it. He had been looking forward to his tea and berry tart, but he supposed he could go tomorrow. A one day change in schedule never hurt anyone, right?

Beth sniffed a little. It was a bit harsh, but probably true. Adam was good at saying things that were true. She grabbed for her notebook. "Listen, Adam, it's really late. I appreciate you helping me, but I'm gonna write down some notes about my next book and then get to bed. You have a good night!"

“Goodnight, Beth.” Adam sighed and ended the call. He glanced at the time again and pulled out his laptop. He had enough time for an episode of Cosmos. If he had to miss Thursday evening cafe night, might as well get on with Friday evening Cosmos, at least this way he could still salvage his week.

_____

Entering the cafe, Adam had decided that he doesn't like Friday evening cafe night at all. For starters there were too many people there. On top of that, his favorite barista, Melissa, didn't work Fridays. Instead his tea was prepared by someone named Brian and he didn't even bother to fold his napkin into the shape of a star.

Finding an empty table was an endeavor, but he finally found a spot to settle down at. Pulling out his book, he was about to take a sip of his tea when a stranger took the seat across from him.

"They say you and I only have ten minutes, but I can already tell we're going to need longer, gorgeous."

Speed Dating was just the latest in a long line of bad ideas. There would be no going back to Bucharest, after all, nor to Gabi, and Nigel had been informed by Darko that it was time to 'stop moping around like a pussy and move on.' 

There'd been clubbing, of course. That had been fun, and had gotten him laid, but it didn't typically lend itself to anything more long term. Next, he'd tried the opera. A big mistake. Nigel had liked the opera more for Gabi than the actual theater, and he certainly didn't like the sort of two-faced socialites that hung around during intermission. 

So, speed dating. 

He'd been given his instructions, and some paper to write down phone numbers, and the lady in charge had just pointed him towards his first table. His only table, if Nigel had anything to say about it, because the boy at the table was the most beautiful thing Nigel had seen since coming to this country. Big, bright eyes, neatly combed wavy hair that looked like it would curl properly after a good roll in the sheets. Nigel was hooked, immediately, intensely. 

Lowering the cup Adam blinked back at the man before him. As far as men went, Adam would say that the description of  _ gorgeous _ fit him better. Adam appreciated the juxtaposition of his look. There was refinement written all over this man. In the way he dressed, the way his hair fell perfectly just above his eye, the way held himself, gracefully. And yet, the roughness of his features, the flex of his muscles under the crisp shirt which accentuated every line, the tattoo dancing on his neck, it made him feel  _ dangerous _ . He shivered at that thought,  _ dangerous _ , and attempted to suppress his arousal.

"The cafe closes at nine," Adam said taking a look at his watch, "you have approximately two hours before you'd have to leave."

Nigel made a face. Two hours bouncing around from table to table when he could stay right here with this angel? No thank you. "Well, I'll just stay right here until nine, then," he decided, folding up his sheet of paper. There was only one number he was going to need tonight.

"You may, but I will most likely be leaving at eight thirty."

"So," Nigel said, leaning back in his seat and taking in a full, lengthy look of the other man, "What's your name, gorgeous? Or should I just keep calling you that?"

"My name is Adam, but you may call me gorgeous if you like," he said, picking up his book and settling back into his chair. 

Nigel couldn't help but laugh. "Alright then, gorgeous," He said with a wink that was clearly going unnoticed because of the book. Nigel had been told he could be all manner of unsavory things, but he was sure he hadn't done or said anything offensive this time. 

Adam nodded absently, and took a sip of his tea, wrinkling his nose disapprovingly. It wasn't bad per say, but it also wasn't his usual cup of tea. Brian was a little heavy handed on the honey and didn't seep the leaves for as long as Melissa does. He was never going to come back on a Friday.

"Do you need a better drink?" Nigel offered, noticing the face Adam made. "I could get you something new, and we could chat for a bit instead of letting the timers boss us around."

"Oh, it's alright," Adam replied, not bothering to look up from the book. "It's not bad, it's just that I like the way Melissa makes the tea more. This is just slightly too sweet and not strong enough. I can't have too much caffeine this late otherwise I won't sleep well. Although I was planning to stargaze tonight. Jupiter is in opposition tonight so it would be a good night to get a detailed view."

Nigel had never felt quite so off-kilter on a date before, even one as short as this was meant to be. Nigel was not a particularly vain man, but he knew he was attractive, and generally people enjoyed being flirted with. This Adam seemed to hardly care that Nigel was there at all. Somehow, it only intensified Nigel's desire to attract his attention. He latched on to the topic, nodding along as if he heard about Jupiter on every date. "It's a nice night," Nigel agreed, "Perfect to see planets and... stars. Do you like the stars, gorgeous?"

"Oh yes, very much so," Adam said putting the book down. "Did you know there are only about six thousand or so stars visible to the naked eye? That is a startling low number, considering the fact that the Milky Way alone is estimated to contain between one and four  _ billion _ stars. Most of them are too far away to be seen without a telescope and those we can see all reside within a thousand light years or so. The closest star to us is Proxima Centauri, which is about is four point two four light-years away. That's about twenty five trillion miles or forty trillion kilometers away."

Nigel grinned, more at ease now that he'd hit a successful topic. Adam did indeed like space, quite possibly more than Nigel had ever liked anything. He looked very ready to ramble off even more space facts. Nigel would take it; Adam looked particularly gorgeous when he was excited. "I didn't know that," Nigel said honestly, "Any of that. I guess the distance explains why they're so small. Space is a lot more empty than I thought it was. Are you some sort of... I don't know the word, space scientist?"

"Astronomer," Adam provided with a smile, "and no, I'm not an astronomer. I'm an electrical engineer. Although, I am currently working on the satellite guidance systems for the Hooker telescope up at Mount Wilson. The Hooker telescope was the world's largest telescope from nineteen seventeen to nineteen forty-nine. It boasts a hundred inch reflector, which forever altered our understanding of the size and nature of the universe. In fact, it was used in the early nineteen twenties by Edwin Hubble to definitively prove that the Andromeda nebula was external to the Milky Way galaxy and that the universe was still expanding."

Nigel went over the words in his head. Several of them were a bit out of his reach, but he thought he got the gist of it. He wasn't quite sure what an 'Andromeda nebula' was, but generally, the idea seemed to be that space was really big and getting bigger. Nigel could follow that. "That's really interesting," He said, and for once it wasn't a line. "So you-"

"Time's up." The man who had interrupted Nigel was about four inches shorter than him, and not half as pretty. Nigel glowered at him. "Time's been up," The man added, as if that was likely to make Nigel move faster."

Adam frowned, his brow furrowing, wondering why they were being interrupted. He had been enjoying his conversation.

"I've decided I'm not playing anymore," Nigel said, shoving his piece of paper into the man's chest, "Here, you can have my sheet."

Adam's brow furrowed further as he looked between the two men in confusion. "What do you mean time's up?" He asked looking at his watch again. "The cafe doesn't close for another hour and forty minutes."

"You're fine, Adam," Nigel assured him.

"Indeed he is," The new man said with a leer that Nigel found entirely inappropriate (though he had given Adam the same look earlier). The man pulled up a chair from a neighboring table and sat down much closer to Adam than Nigel would have liked him to be. "Speed dating rules say ten minutes per table, so you can just take your leave and I'll get to know this handsome man."

"Speed dating?" Adam asked, squirming uncomfortably at the proximity of the newcomer. "I'm sorry, but I'm not here for speed dating, or any sort of dating, I'm just here for tea and this berry tart."

"Well, you're here on speed dating night," the newcomer said with a laugh, "so you might as well participate."

"He said he didn't want to," Nigel said in a low tone, "So why don't you leave the man to his dessert?"

"You didn't," the man said, but as he spoke, Nigel rose from his seat and rolled up his sleeves. Nigel was well aware of what he looked like, with old scars and older tattoos, and a snarl on his lips. He looked vicious, more than a little bit dangerous, and it had served him well. 

Nigel hauled the man up out of his chair with a firm grip on his shoulder. "Get lost," He said, shoving the man towards the nearest empty table.

Adam watched the interaction with wide eyes, arousal thrumming through his veins. He had never had someone come to his defense before, although he hadn't exactly said he didn't want to participate, because quite honestly he had been enjoying the company of the man with the dancing tattoo. If speed dating meant talking to this man all night, Adam was certainly willing to try.

"Thank you," Adam said, straightening out the plates, his eyes fixated on the man's now exposed forearms. He hadn't noticed it before, but the man has very nice hands, and even nicer forearms. As he stared, he couldn't help but wonder what those hands would feel like, trailing all over his body, pinching at him, scratching him,  _ marking _ him. He had half a mind to comment on it, considering the man was here looking for a date, but remembered Beth's reaction to his admittance to sexual arousal and suppressed the thought. Instead, he moved to cut into his tart, ensuring the berries weren’t falling before offering the man half. 

"Would you like half of my tart? They make them very good here. The crust is not too dry like some places and the custard is not too tart. It’s not overtly sweet either, and the lemon really shines through. I particularly like this one over the strawberry one because of the lemon. The dark chocolate tart is good too, but a little too rich for my liking. I haven’t tried a lot of the cakes, but they look good. I’m always tempted to, but I like the tarts, they have fruit in them."

Nigel settled back into his chair with a huff. The other man was still glaring at him, but he didn't look inclined to wander back over. Nigel instead turned his attention back towards Adam, offering him an encouraging smile as he spoke. Adam was a wonder, that was certain. Nigel wondered if he was nervous, or if he always rambled like this. Nigel would take either, there was something about his voice that made him a delight to listen to, and though he did not look Nigel in the eyes, his own eyes lit up when he spoke. 

"You've got opinions on everything, don't you, gorgeous?" Nigel said, accepting the offered half of the tart. He took a bite and gave Adam a wink. "I like a man who knows what he wants. You're right, this is delicious. I'll have to come here more often, especially now that I know you'll be around."

"I usually only come on Thursday evenings. I've found that Thursdays are the best nights to come. I can't come in the mornings because of work, and I dislike coming on the weekends because there are too many people. Wednesday nights I go to trivia with my coworkers, and the local theater usually unveils new plays on Tuesdays, so I like to keep Tuesday nights free."

Adam took a bite of his tart, looking around the room at all the full tables and people rotating around them. "I never came on a Friday before. Fridays I save for my rewatches of the Cosmos, but my friend Beth called last night, and she was pretty upset, so I had to make alternate plans. Thursdays are definitely the best nights to come. Melissa works Thursdays and she makes my tea correctly. But if you like your tea sweeter and less seeped, perhaps you wouldn't mind Brian.  _ I _ won’t be back on a Friday though. There are too many people here and I didn't realize they hosted speed dating, which I still didn't sign up for and don't quite understand."

Nigel had half a mind to settle his chin on his hand and just drink Adam in. Gabi had not been nearly as chatty, her words chosen very carefully. Adam, in contrast, seemed to voice every single thought that came into his head. It was refreshing. Nigel suspected he'd never have to guess what Adam was thinking. 

"You've got a variety of interests," Nigel said. Good. It was easier to woo someone if you had a lot more angles to come from. "I like my tea plain, as it happens. Harder to fuck up that way. I'd be willing to try Melissa's tea on a Thursday, though, if it comes with the pleasure of your company. I'm finding that Speed Dating isn't really my style. Takes more than ten minutes to really know a person, don't you think? And if you don't like crowds, you probably don't want to talk to a dozen people in an hour."

"That sounds terrible. Why would anyone sign up to talk to a dozen strangers for ten minutes at a time? Ten minutes is not long enough to get to know anyone, are they going solely on attraction and first impressions?" Adam paused. This man had sat down in front of him, called him gorgeous and declared he'd need more than ten minutes. "Did  _ you _ sit down solely because of attraction?"

Nigel could not help a hint of shame creeping up over him. His face felt warm, all the way down to the back of his neck. "Well, some of us get a bit..." The word he was looking for was 'desperate.' Nigel wisely chose to skip over that one. "Bored. It's enough time to get a phone number and maybe a second chance to talk." Nigel's fist clenched in his lap, and for once it was he who glanced away and avoided eye contact. 

"Yeah, alright," Nigel said, embarrassed, "You see right through me, darling. I did sit down at first because I thought you were the best looking guy I'd seen all year. But I stayed because you're interesting,. You're excitable and know what you like. Those are good qualities. Attractive qualities."

"Thank you. I find you very attractive as well." Adam brushed the few stray crumbs from his fingertips and staked the empty plates. "Especially your hands. I like the way your veins popped when you were manhandling that other man. It excited me, sexually."

Nigel stopped breathing for a moment. There was a laugh bubbling up in his chest, more relieved than anything else, but he knew that laughing at a potential lover was a good way to end up alone at the end of the night. He glanced down at his arms. He'd kept up with his workout routine, even without the roughhousing he used to do for work, he still retained his muscle mass. He grinned up at Adam. "Well, since we're being honest, you've excited me sexually since the moment I saw you. And I'm happy to manhandle anyone you like."  _ Anyone _ . Adam was tall, but Nigel was pretty sure he could still lift him easily.

"Oh," Adam said, shifting in his seat as he imagined those hands manhandling him against a wall. "Well, sunset isn't until eight thirty, and peak visibility for Jupiter isn’t until closer to ten, if you were still interested in viewing it. We have roughly an hour until sunset, if you like, my place is less than ten minutes away."

Nigel leaned forward, his grin widening. Speed Dating was the best decision he'd ever made. He made a show of checking his watch. "Well, would you look at that. Plenty of time for a house tour." Nigel stood, stretching slightly, and then held out a hand for Adam. "Why don't you show me the way, gorgeous?"

"Okay," Adam said, following the man to a stand, taking a moment to slip his book back into his bag before slinging it onto his shoulder. Picking up the dirty dishes, he placed them in the man's outstretched hand before wiping the crumbs off the table with a napkin. 

Nigel looked down at his hands then back up at Adam. Well. Okay then. 

"The bus box is next to the counter," Adam said, when the man shoved no intention of moving.

"I'll just clean this up, shall I?" He dumped the trash and plates where they belonged, dusting off his hands with a slight grimace. He had a smile back in place by the time he returned to Adam, though. It was hard not to smile. He was going home with an absolutely gorgeous (if, admittedly, slightly odd) man, and if he was lucky, he'd impress him enough for a round two. "I can carry that for you," Nigel said, gesturing towards the bag.

"No thank you," Adam said, adjusting his grip on his bag. He was not about to hand over his book, wallet, house keys, observatory keys, and the Apollo 11 CSM model he had just picked up (even if it was only fifteen dollars), to some man he just met, who's name he didn't even know. Then again he did just invite the man over to his house, but picking up strangers for sex was normal, handing over his things to one when not threatened by bodily harm was not.

All of Nigel's best attempts were being shot down. He was a bit amazed that they were going home together at all, at this point. "You know, you're not like anyone I've ever met," he said, which was hopefully a compliment. Unusual, beautiful. Everything he liked in a partner. Nigel was falling hard and fast.

Adam's footing faltered and he came to a stop. "I..." he stammered, flicking his fingers with his thumb, staring intently at the black splotch of ink on the man's neck. 

He had thought that their conversation was going well. That he had been behaving normally. He had gone out, sat down in a crowded space at an unfamiliar time. He had been calm, collected, didn't have a panic attack or make any highly inappropriate comments, or so he thought. It was all going so well. He had picked up a stranger, and they were going to go back to his place and have sex, it was normal. Perfectly normal, but then he must have done something, said something, and now the stranger knew he was  _ different _ . Dumb Adam. Stupid Adam. He should have known it couldn't have been this easy to pass for  _ normal _ .

Nigel hesitated next to Adam, watching the expression on his face change. Not a compliment, then. Nigel mentally berated himself. Gabi always said he was too vulgar, too rude. 

"I have this thing," Adam finally forced out, a sense of dread washing over him as he started to stim faster, "Asperger's."

"That's on the... what's it in English, the Autism spectrum, right?" Nigel shrugged, hands in his pockets. His eyes flickered down to Adam's fingers and he frowned. "You know it's alright, don't you darling?" He said, his voice as gentle as he could make it. "I've known a few guys like that, it's not a problem. I wouldn't have said anything if I'd known it would upset you."

"Yes," Adam said, hands stilling as he narrowed his eyes. "Of course I know it's alright. I know that I might think a little differently than NT's, but that doesn't make me intrinsically  _ different _ . It doesn't make me slower or emotionally inept, it doesn't make me  _ a child _ ."

Adam took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around himself the way Harlan had taught him. He didn't want to have an attack right now. It shouldn't bother him as much as it was. This man wasn't trying to upset him, he had said so himself. He had been nice. Understanding. He found him excitable, but also found that attractive. 

Adam glanced nervously up at the man, not quite making eye contact, but eyes lingering close. He understood that although  _ he _ knew that it was perfectly alright be too slightly different, NT's usually didn't. He was not an idiot and knew that even Beth, who had cared about him, saw him as different. Defective. Something that needed to be fixed. At the end of the day, he was terrified that this man, who he had admittedly just met, who's name he didn't even know, would also feel the same way. 

Adam couldn't explain it, but he wanted, no, needed this man to be different. "Is it alright with you? Me having Asperger's?"

Nigel sighed, shoving his hands awkwardly into his pockets. "I always seem to say the wrong thing," He muttered, more to himself than to Adam. 

Gabi had been right about him. 

He bit his lip, staring back at Adam, as much as Adam's gaze would allow. "I was trying to say it was fine with me," Nigel explained, "I don't have a problem with it, because there's nothing wrong. I didn't mean to make you feel..." Nigel sighed. 

"You think it's normal?" Adam stared wide eyed at the man, completely flabbergasted.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Nigel asked, shaking his head. "Or as normal as any of us get, anyway. Let's start over," Nigel said, holding out a hand for Adam to shake. When in doubt, turn on the charm.

"Hi, I'm Nigel. I occasionally say fucking stupid things, but I would very much like to go home with you tonight."

Adam smiled at took the offered hand, relishing the feel of it enveloping his. Nigel's hand was large and warm, and the heat of it seeped into his own, traveling up his arm and down his spine. "I'm sorry I misinterpreted your words, I'm not very good with people. But I would like it very much if you'd still come home with me."

Nigel laughed softly, using his grip on Adam's hand to pull him in. "Don't you worry about it, gorgeous, I'm a real fuck up with most people."

Perhaps it was rude to be so forward on the street, but in a couple of minutes they were going to be a lot closer, so Nigel felt no guilt at all about pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Adam's mouth. Not quite the fantasies he'd been indulging in since he saw those lips, but enough to tie him over for the rest of the walk.

Adam turned his head slightly, capturing Nigel's mouth in a proper kiss as he pressed into him. Shifting slightly, he released the grip he had on his bag and wrapped his free arm around Nigel's waist, pulling him even closer so that every inch of their bodies were touching.

The apartment wasn't far, but if Adam could have his way he'd take Nigel right here, up against the side of some stranger's car, but he rather not be arrested for public indecency. It felt good to not have to worry about moving too fast. To know that Nigel wanted this as badly as he did. 

Nigel let out a soft groan, reaching up to cup Adam's jaw in his hand. They were nearly matched in height, and it meant they pressed together in all sorts of interesting ways. If Nigel was not careful, his pants were not loose enough to hide anything obscene. Then again, Nigel didn't really give a fuck about being careful. He nipped lightly at Adam's lower lip, letting his hand slide back to finally run through those soft curls, kept so neat right up until Nigel got his fingers into them. "If we don't get moving," He whispered against Adam's lips, "I might not be able to wait until your apartment."

"Yes, yes, apartment," Adam gasped breathlessly, licking his lips, chasing the taste of berry tart, stale cigarettes, and  _ Nigel _ . Reluctantly, he took a step back and turn to walk swiftly down the street, half dragging Nigel behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Y'all want smut? Have all the smut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now with art by the wonderful [Nephila](https://twitter.com/callmenephila/status/1147154505513033728?s=19)
> 
> Thank you so much darling

* * *

Nigel couldn’t help but laugh as he hurried after Adam, at a pace that only barely qualified as _walking_. The night had certainly taken a wonderful turn, and he could not help but get a little affectionate once it came time for Adam to unlock the door. Why waste precious time standing still and waiting, when he could be pressing a kiss to the tempting length of Adam’s throat?

Adam moaned, tilting his head back to allow Nigel better access to his neck as he fumbled with his keys. "Nigel, Nigel," he begged, pawing half-heartedly at his chest. "We can't have sex in the hallway, Mrs. Nyueng is going to be scandalized."

Nigel did not give a damn about this Mrs. Nyeung, not when Adam made such sweet noises. Nigel wanted to bite marks into his pale skin, just to hear the variety of sounds he could make. Regretfully, he pulled back, giving Adam at least a foot of space to work with. "Lead the way to the bedroom then, gorgeous. I need to get my hands on you."

Finally getting the key situated into the lock, Adam managed to turn the knob and stumble through the door without dislodging himself from Nigel's hands. Tossing his bag in the general direction of the couch, he turned and pinned Nigel up against the door, mumbling "too far." 

Nigel barely managed to get the door closed before Adam was on him. He wrapped one arm around him, clutching him close, and got the other in those beautiful curls again. "Fuck..." He hissed into the kiss, breaking free to trail soft kisses back down to Adam's throat. "Wanted to do this since I saw you," He murmured, grazing his teeth gently over Adam's pulse.

"Yes," Adam hissed, arching up so Nigel's teeth pressed harder against his neck, silently begging him to bite. To mark him. Manhandle him. Dropping his hands down, he quickly worked open the front of Nigel's shirt, hands desperately clutching at the exposed skin as he ground his hips against him. "Please.”

Nigel shrugged his shoulders, working his arms out of the shirt as quickly as he could. He bit harshly at the crook of Adam's neck, licking over the mark left by his teeth. Adam's skin marked up so easily, reddened and bruised from Nigel's attentions. Nigel moaned. "Anything you want," He hissed, cupping Adam's ass in his hands. He turned them quickly, shoving Adam up against the door instead so he could grind their bodies together. "Tell me what you want, gorgeous, you can have it."

"You," Adam managed to get out between moans, pushing back against the hands on his ass, "fucking me against this door. Me," he gasped, raking his hands down Nigel's furred chest, fingers tracing old scars until they settled on the band of his jeans, "bending you over the couch in return."

Nigel groaned, reaching to untuck Adam's shirt from his pants. He shoved his hands up under the fabric, feeling over the smooth planes of Adam's chest. "Anything you want," He repeated, adding, with an almost feral grin, "I'm pretty certain I can hold you up, darling. Just need to get you out of these clothes." He buried his face back into Adam's neck, sucking another bruise under the curve of his jaw.

"Yes, clothes," Adam agreed, pushing against Nigel to maneuver his way out of his clothes. Kicking his jeans aside, he took Nigel at his word and jumped slightly to wrap both legs around his waist, his hands clawing at Nigel's shoulders as he attempted to correct their balance and not fall.

Nigel barely managed to get his belt off and his fly down before Adam was on him. Nigel pressed him up against the door, gripping his bare ass to hold him up. He laughed against his jaw, pressing a kiss to the mark he’d made. “Eager, aren’t you, darling?” He whispered, shoving his pants and underwear down one-handed. He got one hand around his own cock, stroking it to full hardness before he realized the problem. 

“Shit...” Nigel hissed, pulling back to stare at Adam. “I don’t suppose you have lube in your pockets? I hate to brag, but I don’t think spit will cut it for us.”

"No, lube is in the bedroom, in the nightstand." Adam shifted his weight and pushed off the door, legs locking tighter around Nigel's waist. "The bedroom's that way," he said gesturing vaguely with his left hand, "second door on the left."

Nigel was better prepared this time, adjusting easily to Adam’s weight. “Bossy little thing,” he teased, making his way down the hall. It was a little difficult to get the door open with Adam in his arms, particularly with how tempted Nigel was to just push him up against a wall, grinding against him until they both came. Somehow, he managed it, pulling Adam in for a quick kiss before laying him out on the bed. “Told you I could carry you,” he murmured.

Sitting up, Adam grinned, pulling the lube and a condom from the drawer and pressing them into Nigel's hand before draping his arms around his neck again. Getting his feet under him, he pushed up onto his knees, forcing Nigel upright as he kissed him roughly. "I said against the door," he rumbled, hooking a leg around Nigel's waist again and pushed off with the other.

Nigel grinned into the kiss, hauling Adam up even as he basically climbed Nigel. Gorgeous, straightforward, a man who knew what he wanted and was not afraid to ask for it. Ever the total package, Adam was. Nigel stumbled across the room, shoving Adam up against the bedroom door even as he licked his way into his mouth. He fumbled one-handed with the lube, smearing it messily over his cock and onto his fingers. "Open up for me, darling," He mumbled against Adam's mouth, working two fingers into him hastily to spread the lube around. "There you go, you're going to feel so good. You need more time or are you ready for me?" Some of Nigel's lovers preferred to be worked open, toyed with. Adam seemed the impatient type, but he could have anything he wanted, anything he needed.

"Ready," Adam mewled, clawing at Nigel's back as he nipped at the tattoo on his neck. He pressed his back against the door, angling his hips so he could grind down onto Nigel's hand. "Need you deeper."

Nigel groaned, tilting his head to give Adam more access to his neck. He was going to have scratches all down his back, and it was the most intoxicating goddamn thought. He slid his fingers out, tearing open the packet and rolling on the condom, stroking himself to transfer the lube from his fingers into his cock before lining himself up. "Hush, gorgeous," He whispered, "I've got you." Adam had been tight and hot around his fingers, a tease that had been almost cruel. Nigel hid a moan against Adam's shoulder as he pushed slowly into him, filling Adam in a slow, careful roll of his hips. Adam had been driving him crazy all night, and now Nigel thought he might be completely gone, lost in this beautiful man. "Deep enough for you?" He panted.

Adam moaned, loud and unabashed as Nigel pressed in, relaxing his muscles so could slide in easily. It was a slow, delicious burn, that he had missed. Being with Beth had been nice, but being with Beth was so very different. For starters, Beth didn't have a penis, but Beth was different about sex. Beth had rules, and expectations. Beth told him what she needed, and had never once asked him what he wanted. _This,_ this was everything Adam wanted and more. Nigel let him lead. Insisted that he got _exactly_ what he wanted.

The noises Adam made went right through Nigel, pooled heat within him. He shifted to grab Adam's hips, holding him steady as Nigel thrust into him. The way Adam's back jerked against the wall as Nigel fucked into him could not have been comfortable, but Adam didn't seem to be complaining. Still, a thought occurred to Nigel, and he hid his grin against Adam's throat. "You're gorgeous," He murmured, "Do you like that? Like it when I lift you and move you around? Put you wherever I want you?"

"Yes," Adam gasped, heels digging into the small of Nigel's back as he grabbed at his shoulders to lift himself up and drop back down.

Nigel slid one arm up to brace Adam's back, the other clutching tighter to his hip. "Hold on," He growled, and stepped back from the wall. For a moment, he worried he'd over estimated his own strength, and perhaps he would find he had. But for now, Adam had expressed a desire and Nigel was going to fill it. He hauled Adam up and then back down, shuddering at the way he felt around Nigel's cock. Like this, Adam could not help, could only let Nigel give him pleasure. It made Nigel grin, yanking him in for a sloppy, misaimed kiss as he moved him up and down, as rough as he could manage.

"Yes, yes, yes," Adam screamed as he was continually lifted and dropped back down, clawing at the taut muscles of Nigel's back. Nigel was all hard panes, flexed against him in all the right ways as he supported his weight, and Adam couldn't help but moan at the delicious drag of his penis against clenched abs.

Adam was intoxicatingly vocal. Nigel could barely hold himself back, just listening to his cries of pleasure. His arms and core ached with the strain, but it was worth it for the sounds and expressions Adam made. "Come on, gorgeous, let me make you feel good. Let me make you come."

"You're going to have to put me down," Adam said thrusting against Nigel in a feeble attempt to get more friction. "You'll probably drop me before I come like this."

"I'm not going to drop you," Nigel assured him with a huff, "I could do this all day." This was probably a lie, though, and he obliged Adam slightly, giving him a few more rough bounces before backing him up against the wall once more. He pinned Adam in place with his hips, reaching between them to get a hand wrapped around Adam's cock. Nice and thick, just the way Nigel liked his men. "You're going to feel fantastic inside me," He whispered in Adam's ear, nipping gently at the lobe.

Adam shuddered as Nigel stroked him, head falling back against the wall with a thud. Searching for purchase against slick skin, he dug his fingers into Nigel's shoulders. It felt so good. Everything was so good. From the way Nigel filled him up to the feel of his rough hands on his own. He was so close, but he needed more. He needed the drag of Nigel's stubble against his jaw, the feel of teeth against his neck.

Nigel's back was no doubt a mess of claw-marks. He would enjoy pressing his fingers into them later, remembering Adam when he was no longer around for Nigel to look at, to taste. He trailed damp kisses over Adam's cheek, his jaw. "I've left you all marked up," He murmured, lifting Adam's leg a little higher as he fucked into him. He was a possessive man, and a needy one. If a one-night stand was all he got, he would be sure it was one to be remembered. There were at least two darkened bruises on Adam's throat, both on the same side. That wouldn't do. Adam's exposed throat was so tempting, Nigel could not resist shifting to suck a matching bruise along the other side of his neck.

"Nigel," Adam moaned as he latched onto his neck. "I... I," he gasped, bracing himself against the wall as he dropped a hand down to cover the one already on his penis, jerking himself off roughly with Nigel's hand. It was perfect; _Nigel_ was perfect. Adam groaned as his whole body tensing. The feel of Nigel engulfing him completely filled him with euphoric bliss and the press of Nigel's teeth against him pushed him over the edge. He came hot and hard, spilling over their conjoined hands before slumping forward, clinging onto Nigel with his free arm as his legs began to slip.

Adam's hand around his was enough to send him spiraling, but it was the way he looked when he came that truly did it. Nigel gasped into his throat, sinking his teeth into the bruise he'd left. He rolled his hips again, sinking as deep as he could into Adam's welcoming body, and let himself go. His release threatened to overwhelm him, waves of pleasure that nearly sent him to his knees. It was only his desire to hold on to Adam that kept Nigel standing, stumbling slightly under the sudden dead weight. 

"I've got you," He gasped, still shuddering as he backed himself onto the bed, Adam tucked safely, if a bit awkwardly, into his lap.

Adam squirmed uncomfortably on Nigel's lap. His hand was sticky and the feel of Nigel's still softening penis still in his ass was unpleasant. "Can you let go of me?" He asked, attempting to pull himself off, grimacing when Nigel finally slipped out.

Nigel made an uncomfortable face as he pulled off the condom and tied it off, tossing it into the bin by the bed. He released Adam immediately, giving him the space he needed. He felt sticky and uncomfortable, but unlike Adam, he relished the feeling of a job well done. He resisted the urge to drop backwards onto Adam's bed, it was probably rude. "Was that what you wanted?" Nigel asked, a bit more hesitant than he meant to be.

"Yes," Adam said, coming to a stand on shaky legs. He leaned heavily against the wall, catching his breath before grabbing a handful of tissues to clean the mess off of his hands. "I'm going to need a shower before we head out. Come on," he said, pushing off the wall. "You might as well come too."

Nigel stretched, working out some of the ache that had settled into his limbs. Admiring the marks of passion on Adam's flushed skin, the bites and mess. "Anything you want," He promised, trailing Adam towards the bathroom. "This is a far better night than I was expecting to have."

"Considering you were planning to talk to a dozen different people in the span of two hours, yes, I'd have to agree this was probably a more desirable outcome." 

Adam stilled as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He turned, leaning forward to get a better glimpse of the bruises blooming on his neck. Prodding at them gently, he let out a startled gasp as his fingers brushed over the one bite mark which almost broke skin.

Nigel nearly bumped into Adam when he stopped. He watched him for a minute, smiling fondly. "I'm not going to apologize," he warned, stepping up behind Adam to place a gentle kiss over the same mark Adam had just noticed. "They're beautiful. You're beautiful. I'd do it again, if you'd let me."

"Why would you apologize?" Adam asked, tracing the indentation of Nigel's teeth again before pulling away to turn on the shower. "I liked it. I would have liked it more if you had bit me harder," he said shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe next time."

That sent a shock of heat right down to Nigel's spent cock. If Adam wasn't careful, he'd test Nigel's refractory period. "If I bit you any harder, you'd bleed," Nigel pointed out, stepping into the shower. It was still a bit cold, but Nigel had never been known for his patience, and he'd taken colder showers. "But I'll give you as many marks as you want, Adam. Wherever you like."

"Everywhere," Adam said testing the temperature of the water, frowning when he found it barely lukewarm. Nigel was already under the spray, water trailing down neck and shoulders, droplets catching on the dense hair covering his chest. Adam was tempted to join him under the spray, to run his hands through Nigel's chest hair and chase away the droplets, but he hated cold showers. "If you had made me bleed," he said instead, leaning against the side of the shower, "it would take longer to heal."

Nigel wet his hair, letting the water take away the lingering sweat from his efforts. He stared at Adam, who kept finding more and more ways to surprise him. "Would you like that," he asked, running his tongue over his teeth, "if I left you marked up as long as I could?" He was tempted, already, to pull Adam into the shower with him, to bite at his chest, at the soft skin of his inner thighs.

Adam watched Nigel's tongue glide across his teeth, eyes trailing from his mouth to the series of bruises littering Nigel's shoulders where his fingers had dug in. He couldn't help but wonder what the state of Nigel's back looked like, remembering the way his heels had dug in, his hands fighting for purchase against the hard panes of his back. "Can you turn around?" He asked, checking the water one last time before stepping over the lip of the tub and crowding into Nigel's space.

Nigel was very tempted to ignore him. His mouth was watering at the sight of all that unblemished skin, now that he could take Adam in properly. Now that he knew how pleased his marks made Adam. 

Still, he'd promised Adam anything he liked, and Nigel was a man who kept his promises. He turned slowly, giving Adam a good glimpse of his back and tilting his head back to enjoy the warm water.

"Does it hurt?" Adam asked, gingerly tracing the angry red marks littered all over Nigel's back.

Nigel hissed softly, tilting his head. "Only in a good way, darling," he assured Adam. "The kind of pain a man can get used to." The water irritated the scratches, but Nigel was thrilled to bear them. "This is just proof you enjoyed yourself. The kind of trophy I like to take home."

Adam hummed to himself as he continued to admire the marks he left behind. It _was_ proof that he enjoyed himself, a shame that they'll fade in time, unlike the large angry scar that ran down Nigel's left flank. "What happened here?"

Nigel flinched. He turned towards Adam, hiding the old scar from view. He was not a good man, he knew that, and it had ruined Gabi. Would ruin everything he touched, if he let it.

But, when he looked at Adam, the lie wouldn't come. It rested on his tongue, thick and cloying and fake. Nigel stumbled over it, and what came out of his mouth was the truth instead. "A deal gone wrong. Piss off the wrong men, and they'll make sure you regret it. We gave them as good as we got, but this almost killed me."

Adam's hands faltered, resting heavy on the scar. He frowned, not liking the idea that Nigel had almost died. "A deal gone wrong," he repeated, frown intensifying as he traced the scar. "You got stabbed selling drugs?"

Nigel drew in a sharp breath as Adam ran his hands over the old damage. This was generally the type of thing that got one thrown bodily out of the apartment, and he braced himself for the yelling that was surely coming. "You brought home a bad man, darling," he said quietly, "I've gotten very good at doing some very illegal things. The scar is from when I wasn't quite as good at it."

"But since you're very good at it now, there's no more chances of you getting stabbed, right?" Adam asked, wrapping his arms around Nigel, pushing against him as he pressed his face against the crook of his neck, ignoring the water that was now cascading over his head and down his back.

For a long moment, Nigel couldn't answer. He had Adam pressed up against him, his face in Nigel's neck, and nothing was going the way he'd thought it would. His hands came up hesitantly, stroking Adam's back. "There's always a risk," he said, "but no one's gotten close enough to touch me in years. I'm very, very good at what I do."

"That's good," Adam murmered against his skin, "I wouldn't be able to have sex with you if you were dead or incarcerated."

Adam suddenly pulled back, taking a moment to stare at the scar before pressing him back against the shower wall, leaning in to kiss him hard. "Thank you for not lying to me," he said in-between breathless kisses. "My ex-girlfriend, Beth, she was a liar. And Harlan had told me that some liars were worth loving, but if I had a choice, I'd prefer to love someone who wasn’t a liar."

Adam's points were very logical, but Nigel's brain got stuck on the L word, as it always did. He wrapped his arms tightly around Adam's back, meeting his mouth with eager kisses of his own. "I could be worth loving," he murmured against Adam's soft lips, "At the very least, Adam, I can promise to be honest." 

Nigel couldn't help himself. He dropped one hand from Adam's waist to his hips, pulling him flush against Nigel where his body was beginning to show interest once more.

Adam rutted up against him, the water slick drag of their semi-hard penises against each other ignited every nerve ending in his body. He couldn't remember the last time he had gotten aroused again so quickly, especially not after such a satisfying orgasm. There was just something about Nigel that made him want to devour and claim.

"Honesty is good. I like honesty." Adam sighed against Nigel, working a hand between them to grip both of their penises together. He liked it, the feeling of Nigel against him as he stroked them to full hardness.

Nigel moaned, thrusting forward into Adam's grasp. Adam felt perfect against him, his hand, his cock. "I honestly want to bite you again," he offered with a gasp, "I want to cover you in marks. Make sure you remember me."

"I don't think I could ever forget you," Adam said, eyes roaming over the bruises he left behind on Nigel's shoulders.

"God, I hope not, gorgeous," Nigel groaned before he could stop himself, "Because I'll never get you out of my head."

Adam's grip tightened, stroking faster as his eyes fell shut. "It was probably the best sex I've ever had, but still, I would like it very much if you bit me again."

Nigel trailed kisses down to Adam's shoulder, rolling their hips together as he sought out the spots that seemed the most sensitive. He sucked gently at first, then a bit harder, and finally sank his teeth into Adam's skin.

Adam yelped, bucking wildly as Nigel's teeth sank into his flesh. "Yes," he hissed, the sting of the bite sending his blood rushing south, his penis getting impossibly hard as he stroked even faster. 

Nigel most likely broke skin, or so he hoped. He wouldn't forget Nigel, it would be very hard to forget someone like him, but he liked the idea of the visual reminder. Liked the fact that it would take weeks for his skin to fully heal, giving him plenty of time to mark him again before it did.

Nigel could taste metal, the sharp tang of blood. He did not try to be gentle, encouraged by Adam's wild motions. He slid his hand down to Adam's ass, guiding and groping in turn. "God," He hissed, lapping up the droplets of blood his teeth had brought to the surface, "God, just like that, Adam, I'm gonna..."

Adam slowed his movements, dragged his free hand up Nigel's arm, following the course of his veins until he could tangle his fingers into Nigel's hair and tugged. The moment Nigel's head lifted, he licked his way into his mouth, moaning sinfully at the taste of his blood in his mouth. 

Nigel moaned at the tug to his hair, the sound muffled by Adam's kiss. The way Adam kissed him could have broken a lesser man, and Nigel was not entirely proud of the desperate little noise he made when Adam's hand stilled. 

"Not yet," Adam said against Nigel's lips. Releasing his grip on Nigel's hair, Adam kissed him again, fiercely, before letting go of their penises and dropping to his knees. "I want you to finish inside my mouth."

"Fuck," Nigel whispered. Adam looked like a goddamn siren on his knees, dripping wet with a perfect imprint of Nigel's teeth in his shoulder. This man was going to be the death of him. "Long as I get to return the favor, gorgeous."

Adam hummed against him in affirmation. He gave Nigel a slow, steady stroke before pushing his foreskin down on the downstroke. He followed the trail of his hand with his tongue, licking up the underside of his penis, giving the head a swipe with his tongue before taking it into his mouth.

It had been a while since he last given someone a blowjob, and his jaw grew sore much faster than he liked, but he was determined. Sticking to broad strokes and shallow sucks, he focused his attention on the head, letting his hands work the rest of him.

"Oh shit-" Nigel cursed. The tiny little kisses had left him twitching, but Adam's tongue was another thing entirely. He curled over Adam, hands braced on his shoulder to try and keep himself still. All he wanted was to thrust into that warm, wet mouth, but Nigel kept himself in check. He wasn't going to last long, anyway, he could already feel himself tensing up. "Gorgeous, Adam, I'm..." The words caught in his throat. Adam's mouth and hands were taking him apart, and Nigel spilled over with a rough moan.

Adam shuddered as his mouth was filled with the bitter taste of Nigel's release. He swallowed around him, tongue swirling around the head in his mouth as his hand coaxed out every drop. He released Nigel with a soft pop and sat back onto heels.

The water stung at the bite on his shoulder tinting the water pink and he smiled, glancing up to take in Nigel’s expression. "You made me bleed," he said, fingers running over the wound, even though he had already been vaguely aware of this fact when he had kissed Nigel. The taste of his blood was gone now, replaced with Nigel's semen and he couldn't decide which he liked more. "Do it again."

Nigel stared down at Adam, wide eyed and gasping for breath. This man was definitely going to be the death of him, kneeling there with his fingers over a wound Nigel had made. Even now, Nigel's cock twitched painfully in a valiant effort to rise to the challenge. 

There was no other option, of course. Nigel wanted nothing more than to give Adam everything what he asked for and more. He dropped painfully to his knees, gripping Adam around the waist and turning so Adam was sprawled out on the floor of the tub. It was cold on Nigel's knees and no doubt on Adam's back, but Nigel couldn't stop himself. He flattened himself as much as he could between Adam's thighs, spreading them wide and sinking his teeth into the soft unblemished skin just a few inches below his erection.

Adam screamed when Nigel's teeth sank into the soft, tender flesh of his inner thigh. His erection throbbed in response to the bolt of pain which shot through his body, and his hands shot down to clutch at Nigel. Fingers tangling in damp hair, closing into a fist and tugging, but instead of pulling him off, Adam found himself pushing Nigel harder against him.

Adam's scream pulled a moan out of Nigel. He sucked hard at the drops of blood welling up, forcing a livid bruise to the surface of Adam's skin. Adam's hands held him in place, so Nigel nudged his mouth over and bit an overlapping mark right next to the first once. He'd meant to return the blowjob, but Adam seemed to have him exactly where he was wanted. Instead Nigel fumbled blindly until he could get his hand around Adam's erection, stroking in long, smooth pulls as he lapped at Adam's thigh.

Adam bucked into Nigel's hand, his feet slipping against the slick porcelain. "Nigel, Nigel," he gasped, eyes trained on the hand fisted around him. An hour ago, this was not what he had imagined when he watched Nigel manhandling that other speed dater. This was infinitely better. 

Nigel was unlike any lover he had ever had. Nigel brought out things in him he never knew he wanted. The pain, the blood, the marks. He wanted any and everyone who looked at him to know that Nigel had claimed him. That he was Nigel's, and in return that Nigel was his. Tugging at Nigel's hair, he pulled at him until he lifted his head and Adam could lick the blood off his lips and into his mouth.

Nigel's mouth smeared a red streak across Adam's thigh as Adam hauled him up. Adam licked at him like he was the best thing he'd ever tasted. Nigel opened his mouth, pressing into the kiss with an eager sound that might have embarrassed him any other night. 

There'd never been anyone like Adam, never someone who welcomed violence and viciousness and begged Nigel for more. Nigel slowed his grip on Adam's cock, sliding his hand up to tease the damp, sensitive head.

Adam tensed, every muscle in his body pulled tight as he rocked into Nigel's grip. With a gasp he pulled his mouth from Nigel's, gaze dropping down to watch the way Nigel's hand dragged along his erection. Every stroke brought him closer to completion, and when Nigel's fingers brushed over the head of his penis again, he was coming, painting them white.

Collapsing against the wall, Adam sat there, panting, watching the water wash the evidence of his orgasm from Nigel's hand. "Can you pass me the soap?" He asked once he caught his breath. "We should get cleaned up so we can dress these bites. Did you know the human saliva is known to contain as many as fifty species of bacteria with almost a hundred and eight microbes per millilitre. Infections from adult bites are most likely than from those of children due to the fact that children are known to have lower rates of infection owing to less diseased teeth or a lower incidence of gingivitis. Not that I believe your teeth are diseased or that you have gingivitis."

Nigel dropped lightly onto Adam's chest, wishing he could stay there for the rest of the night. His mouth was flooded with the taste of metal, normally a sign his night was going very poorly, but tonight, it tasted like victory. 

"You got it," he mumbled to Adam, reaching blindly for the soap. He ended up having to sit up to get to it, which was probably for the best. Adam probably didn't like being crushed into the bottom of the tub. "I got an infection off a bite once. Nasty motherfucker fought dirty." He handed Adam the soap, still enjoying the view, even after two orgasms.

"Bites from fights usually do result in infections. In fact, most bite wounds encountered in the ER are either intentional bites from a fight, or a closed fist bites, those are when you punch someone and their teeth scrape your knuckles. Closed fist bites are known to be the worst of the human bites, as the punctures are usually small and easily missed during examination. Most bite infections stem from closed fist bites as the extensors tendon and the metacarpophalangeal joints are relatively avascular structures and thus have a very limited ability to fight infection." 

Adam paused to wash his face with soapy hands, leaning into Nigel to rinse off without having to get up. "You should try not to punch people in the teeth. My father and Harlan always say to aim for the clavicle. With relative ease it can be broken, to render the attacker's arm useless on the side in which it was broken. That and as Harlan likes to put it, 'it hurts like a bitch.' Besides, people tend to defend their head or face, usually leaving their clavicle exposed."

Nigel couldn't help but shake his hand out, as if he'd punched someone right that minute. "Teeth are easier when you want someone intimidated," He explained, stealing the soap back, "But I never thought about going for the clavicle." Nigel grinned. "I don't suppose you'll let me keep you around to tell me all the things I'm doing wrong? You're very good at it and I could use some self-improvement."

"No thank you," Adam said, finally coming to a stand to rinse off the last of the soap. "I’d rather not be there for your illegal activities. Besides, you said yourself that you're very good at what you do. I don't think that I would be able to give you very good insight."

Nigel chuckled, following Adam to a stand and pressed a kiss to his temple. "I'm just trying to find an excuse to spend more time with you, gorgeous," he explained, "I don't really want you around when the deals are going down."

"Oh," Adam said, reaching around Nigel to turn off the water. "Well, Mercury will be at its Greatest Eastern Elongation next week if you want to see it. It will be easily spotted right after sunset on the 23rd."

Nigel stepped out of the shower, drying himself off. Space wasn't something he'd ever really thought about before, beyond that it was pretty, but if it was something Adam liked, he was willing to learn about it. "That sounds wonderful. Remind me what it was we're seeing tonight?"

"Jupiter." Adam followed Nigel out of the shower, towelling off before pulling out the gauze. "Do you mind giving me a hand?"

Nigel draped his towel over his shoulders to keep the water from dripping down his back, and took the gauze. This, he was well practiced at. He poked around in Adam's medicine cabinet for a second until he found what he was looking for, and then carefully cleaned and bandaged Adam's bite marks with a thin layer of antibacterial cream. He blushed a little when he had to kneel to reach Adam's thighs, his mind racing with all the things he hadn't tried yet. "There you go, darling. All better."

"Thank you," Adam said carding a hand through Nigel's hair. He was beautiful, undeniably so, on his knees by Adam's feet. Adam couldn't help but wonder how he would look, with that mouth wrapped around his penis, cheeks hollowed out accentuating those cheekbones. If he hadn't already been sated, blissfully so, by two consecutive orgasms, he would certainly like to satisfy his curiosity. Even so, his penis made a feeble attempt to fill again as he brushed his fingers over Nigel's cheekbones. 

Nigel wanted to turn and take Adam's fingers into his mouth, a hint of what his mouth could really do. He resisted the urge; they'd had two rounds already, and he was not getting any younger.

"You have beautiful bone structure," Adam said releasing his hand and taking a step back to hang the wet towel before turning to exit the bathroom.

"Thank you," Nigel said, straightening up to trail after Adam, unsure of what to say. It wasn't the sort of compliment he was used to getting, and he didn't know how to repay it properly. "Usually people tell me my cheekbones could cut glass. I like what you said better." He realized as Adam pulled out fresh clothes that his own had all been kicked off by the door, and he hurried to retrieve them.

"That's a ridiculous thing to say," Adam called after him, dressing quickly so he could follow Nigel out to the living room to gather his own discarded clothes from earlier. "The glass would cut you long before you'd be able to cut it. Especially considering the fact that there's flesh covering your cheekbones. Besides, glass is more dense than bone."

"Idioms, right?" Nigel said, shaking his head. "I never got that, all those sayings and phrases. We have them in Romanian too, yes, but when you're trying to learn another language and everyone keeps saying things that don't make any sense..." Nigel shook his head. "Besides, it's a creepy thought. I don't like it."

Adam hummed in agreement as he continued to put the apartment back together. Somehow during their fumble from the front door to the bedroom, they managed to leave behind a trail of destruction. 

Glancing over at the clock, Adam straightened the lamp on the end table before pulling out the case for his telescope. "We missed the sunset, well most of it. We might still be able to catch the tail end of it on the way to the park, if we leave now."

Nigel nodded, stepping out of the way so Adam could go out the door first. "Sorry I messed up your plans. Well, not that sorry," he added with a smirk. After all, he couldn't regret any of the things he'd done tonight. "I can carry that for you. It looks heavy."

Adam paused. He looked from Nigel to his telescope and back to Nigel again. "No thank you," he said, locking up the apartment. "I rather not hand over my telescope to someone I just met."

Nigel stared at him for a moment, and then started to laugh. "Not your telescope," he said, shaking his head. No one else could touch the telescope, but Adam willingly handed his body over for Nigel's hands and teeth to caress. "Alright, gorgeous, show me the way. Let's go look at your stars."

"Jupiter is not a star, it's a planet," Adam pointed out helpfully, as he led them back down the street they had come up.

As he predicted, the sun was almost set, but the sky was still painted a brilliant pink, with streaks of orange and red shot through. Twilight was setting in, and by the time they would reach the trailhead, it would be dark.

"A planet surrounded by stars," Nigel countered. 

"One star," Adam corrected. "The only star _surrounding_ Jupiter is our sun. The next closest star is Proxima Centauri, which as I mentioned before, is four point two four light years away."

Nigel nodded as Adam continued to talk about the stars. He kept a small amount of distance between them, his eyes trained on Adam the whole time. He was trying to determine whether Adam was the type of guy who might like an arm around his shoulders, or even his waist, and had just gotten the courage to go for a basic hand-hold when they passed by the cafe.

Speed dating must have just wrapped up. The cafe was dim, and people were milling around outside, chatting up people they'd liked. The man who'd attempted to get Adam's attention earlier was stalking out the door with his hands in his pockets and a disgruntled look on his face. He stopped when he saw them, glaring at Nigel. 

"You still with this loser, pretty boy?" He asked Adam. "Didn't get bored of him yet?"

"Oh no, definitely not," Adam said, shifting the telescope to his other hand. "He's very good at helping me achieve orgasms. I don't think I've ever orgasmed twice in such a short amount of time. And after I show him Jupiter, I plan to take him back to my place so I could bend him over my couch and penetrate him."

The man turned a very funny shade of purple. He stammered a few inarticulate sounds, but seemed unable to form any actual words in his rage. Nigel burst out laughing, wrapping an arm around Adam's shoulder and tugging him close. "I think you broke him, darling," Nigel whispered, pressing a kiss to Adam's cheek, "Why don't we leave him be and I can spend the rest of the walk thinking up more things you can do to me after we're done at the park." 

He was just loud enough to be heard by the man, who rolled up his sleeves as if he actually thought he could fight Nigel. Nigel rolled his eyes and the man muttered curses under his breath.

"Was he angry?" Adam asked, glancing back at the man who was still fuming, his hip bumping against Nigel's. "I don't understand why. I simply answered his question."

"He's jealous, darling," Nigel said, pulling him closer. "He wanted to take you to his bed, and instead you went home with me. And had a blast, to hear you tell it. Always good to hear someone enjoyed themselves."

Adam frowned as they continued to walk, Nigel's arm heavy around his shoulders. It wasn't an unwelcome weight, but it made walking rather difficult. "Could you please remove your arm, I can't walk like this."

Nigel released his arm and stepped back to give Adam his space, hesitating slightly. Silently, he was judging himself, but he had to ask. "What's your opinion on holding hands, then?"

"That is acceptable," Adam said taking Nigel's hand and lacing their fingers together. "It doesn't impede my walking."

Adam's hand was warm, his grip sure. It was different than Nigel was used to. He'd had affairs with all types, sure, men, women, anyone gorgeous willing to go home with him. But his last serious relationship, his only serious relationship, had been Gabi, small and delicate. He was finding he didn't mind the difference as much as he thought he would. They fell into a comfortable silence, and by the time they made it to their destination, night had settled in and the stars were twinkling bright above them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more smut. Sorry Beth.

"You could actually see Jupiter now," Adam said, unlatching the case. "It's the bright dot to the south west of the moon. The one that's not twinkling. Did you know that's how you can tell the difference between stars and planets? Stars twinkle, planets don't."

Nigel settled himself on the ground, leaning back to look up at the stars. They were beautiful to look at, but he kept finding his attention drawn back to Adam, and the way his steady hands set up his telescope. "I didn't know that," He confessed. "The only really interesting space thing I know is that it might rain diamonds on Jupiter. I read that somewhere, and it stuck with me."

"Oh yes. Unfortunately they aren’t very unstable and the heat of the core melts them down into liquid." Adam turned toward Nigel and smiled. It was different talking to Nigel. Unlike his co-workers, Nigel clearly didn't know anything about space, but unlike Beth, Nigel actually engaged him in conversation. Nigel didn't interrupt him, or try to change the topic. 

"Come here," he said waving Nigel over and gestured toward the telescope. "Like I mentioned earlier, Jupiter is in opposition tonight, which means the Sun, Earth, and Jupiter, are in alignment, giving us a better view of the planet. You should be able to see it's cloud bands and four of its moons."

Nigel straightened up, joining Adam at the telescope. He'd never bothered with anything like this before. He'd never given it much thought. The stars were there, the planets were there, why worry about anything further? But Adam was so clearly enraptured that he couldn't help but be drawn in. He leaned in to peer through the telescope and drew in a sharp breath. "That's a lot clearer than I expected it to be," he admitted, "I've never seen a planet up close like this, except in pictures."

It was nice, sharing something he loved with someone. Even if it was someone he had just met that night. Talking to Nigel was nice. It made his heart beat faster and his stomach flutter. There was something about Nigel, something that made him want to keep him forever. It didn't matter much to Adam if he dealt drugs, or was self professed as a  _ bad man _ . Harlan had once said that there would always be liars in the world, and that some liars were worth loving. He couldn't help but wonder if that applied to bad men too. Shouldn't everyone deserve to be loved, regardless of who they were? If he could love a liar, who's to say he couldn't love a criminal? Besides, Nigel was honest, he didn't lie to him when he could have, and for Adam, that meant everything. 

"It's pretty amazing isn't it? Being able to see approximately four hundred million miles away. If you like, I could show you the moon too," Adam offered, looking up at the sky. "With this telescope you'd be able to see the craters clearly. Unfortunately it's only a mid range, so I wouldn't be able to show you any deep space objects, but if you are interested, I could probably arrange a viewing on the Hooker and show you a few nebulas."

"It really is amazing," Nigel agreed, stepping back to look at Adam. It had been an amazing night. It was hard to believe it had only been a few hours since he'd met this man. "Alright, Adam. Show me the moon."

It wasn't the moon that held his attention, though, as fascinating as Adam had made everything. It was Adam. All night, it had been Adam. Unable to help himself, Nigel cupped Adam's face in his hands and kissed him gently. Just once. Just one more kiss, and then he could step back and let Adam enjoy the sights.

Adam leaned into the kiss. Telescope forgotten as he licked into Nigel's mouth, hands flying up to clutch at his nape. Nigel was intoxicating. And although he no longer tasted like Adam's blood, Adam found that he didn't care. Nigel himself tasted better than anything he had ever had.

Nigel moaned, wrapping an arm around Adam's waist to haul him closer. He kept the other hand on Adam's jaw, running his thumb over Adam's cheek. Just the one kiss, he kept telling himself, even as that one kiss went on and on.

Finally, Nigel forced himself to break it, tilting his head to press another kiss into Adam's cheek. "You're driving me crazy," He murmured, "I don't know what it is about you." That was a lie. It was Adam's passion, his excitement, his casual bluntness as he said whatever he thought. He was refreshingly honest, and his looks didn't hurt, either.

This was crazy. There was absolutely nothing about this that was sane. But then, hadn't Nigel always fallen this hard and this fast? He fell in love with Gabi without ever seeing her. At least with Adam...

But it wasn't love. You couldn't love someone you barely knew. But Nigel wanted to, wanted it badly.

"You're driving me crazy too," Adam said, turning slightly to press another kiss against Nigel's mouth. "I've never felt this way before, and not just sexually. Although that is new too. Everything about you sexually excites me, but beyond that, you make me feel, normal. People always treat me differently. Even when they try not to, they do, but you don't. You take me as I am and indulge my wants and needs."

Adam pulled back with a smile. He glanced between Nigel and the telescope before pushing down on Nigel's shoulders until he dropped down into a cross legged position in the ground. Moving the telescope closer, he adjusted the tripod until the eyepiece was level to Nigel's new position. Settling down into the space between Nigel's legs, Adam adjusted the magnification, refocusing the telescope before leaning back against Nigel's broad chest. 

Nigel was startled when Adam moved him, but he went where he was pushed, chuckling softly when Adam dropped carefully into his lap. He propped his chin up on Adam's shoulder, holding Adam with one arm while his other hand rested on the telescope, enjoying the closeness.

"The moon is one of my favorite objects to look at," Adam said, hands caressing the arm around him, melting into Nigel's embrace. "Back when I lived in New York City, the light pollution of the city made many celestial objects difficult to see, but the moon was always visible. If you follow the terminator, that is the line defining the lit and dark sides of the moon, you'll see the crater Copernicus."

Adam sighed. Gazing up at the moon with his naked eye. The magnificence of the night sky was magnified by the warmth and security of Nigel's arm around him. Stargazing had never felt this good. Being with someone had never felt this right.

Beth had been nice. Beth was soft, and kind. Beth helped him navigate life and was pleasant to be around, but Beth had never made his heart beat so wildly in his chest before. Beth had never made him feel so warm, and safe, and secure. Beth had never wanted to see the stars with him, to listen to him talk to no end. To encourage him to continue, murmuring her awe as he guided her across the terrain of the moon. 

Adam had only known this Nigel for three hours and seventeen minutes, but to him it felt like a lifetime. In one night, Nigel satisfied him in a way that Beth, nor anyone else in his life ever had. In that moment, under the light of the moon, and Jupiter, and approximately six thousand stars, Adam decided that he could live forever like this, wrapped up in Nigel’s arms.

Nigel prodded Adam with questions, encouraging Adam to show off for him until it started to get late. When he could no longer keep the night's chill off of Adam with the heat of his body, he asked Adam to pack up while he called a cab. While they waited, he wrapped Adam back up in his arms, pressing up behind him and pressing soft little kisses just under his ear, down his throat, wherever he could reach. Not to stir anything else up, but just because Adam was there, within reach, and Nigel had no desire to be any further from him. The only downside to the cab was how quickly it arrived. Sure, it was warmer, but he had to let Adam go to get in.

Adam followed Nigel into the car, one hand clutching the telescope on his lap close, the other wrapped in Nigel's, fingers entangled. The car was warm, and Nigel was a comforting weight against his side. Although the ride was short, a mere ten minutes, Adam found his eyes closing and his head drooping, and by the time they pulled up in front of his complex he was on the cusp of sleep.

Nigel nudged Adam gently. He was tempted to just carry him inside, but that would mean touching the telescope, and he wanted to be invited back. "Come on, gorgeous, let's get you into bed. I'll walk you in." He paid the cab driver, wrapping an arm around Adam's waist once they were out of the car. He knew Adam didn't prefer it, but he couldn't bear to be apart from him right now, not when he would have to leave at any minute.

Adam leaned into Nigel as they walked. It was awkward and slow, but he was sleepy, and Nigel felt nice. "I'm sorry," Adam murmured as he pushed the door open, setting the telescope down before turning completely into Nigel's embrace. He yawned, pillowing his head against Nigel's shoulder and leaned into him, pressing him against the door. "I'm too tired to have sex again, but I don't want you to leave. Would you like to stay over?"

Nigel held Adam close, tucking his hand into his hair. His heart was racing in his chest. He didn't think he'd sleep at all, if he left now. "Of course I'd like to stay," Nigel whispered. He was very tempted to add 'forever' to that sentence, which was just... insane. "I don't want to leave, either," he admitted.

Reluctantly, Adam disentangle himself from Nigel and shuffled his way over to the bedroom, stripping down and shoving his clothes into the hamper before turning toward the bed. 

Nigel followed Adam's lead, kicking out of his clothes. He chuckled as he was dragged down into the bed, holding Adam close.

As he collapsed onto his bed, pulling Nigel against him, he was grateful that he opted for the full bed when he moved in, and not the twin he had his whole life back in New York. "Goodnight, Nigel," he said, stifling another yawn. "I'll bend you over the couch tomorrow."

"Anything you want," Nigel promised, "Good night, gorgeous."

\-----

Adam awoke to a weight around his waist and a warmth pressed against his back. Blinking blearily, he let out a yawn and turned around, smiling when he was met with Nigel's serene face. Nigel was even more beautiful in the soft morning light, features lax with sleep. He was quite possibly the most beautiful man Adam had ever seen. Pulling his arm out from under him, Adam lightly brushed the hair off Nigel's face, tucking it gently behind his ear.

Nigel had slept more solidly than he had in weeks. Adam was a comfortable heat against his chest, held tightly in Nigel's arms. He woke slowly as Adam moved, cracking his eyes open at the soft touch. "Morning, gorgeous," He whispered, his voice rough and thick with sleep. Mindful of morning breath, he skipped Adam's lips and pressed a kiss to his forehead instead.

"Good morning, Nigel," Adam said, pressing closer, slotting their hips together before throwing a leg over Nigel and rolling them. Settling heavy on Nigel, he tucked his head into the crook of Nigel's neck, mouthing at the tattoo that has had his attention since the moment he laid eyes on the man. "I would like to penetrate you now," he said against spit slick skin.

Nigel gasped, staring up at the ceiling as Adam kissed at his neck. “Hell of a wake up,” he said, cupping Adam’s ass in both hands. “Yes, please darling. All I could think about all night. I dreamed about it, but I bet the real thing is even better.” He rolled his hips, thrusting up against Adam.

Adam moaned, rutting down to meet Nigel's thrust, pressing another kiss against the splotch of ink before sitting up. He leaned back to pull open the nightstand drawer and frowned. "Nigel, where did you put the lube?"

The actual answer was 'fuck if I know,' but Nigel suspected that was a good way to lose his chance to have Adam inside him. He leaned up on his arms, looking around. "Had it when I had you against the wall. I... I think I dropped it somewhere."

"Oh." With a sigh, Adam untangled himself from the sheets and got up, eyes scanning the floor for the bottle of lube. 

Nigel watched him go, admiring the curves and angles of his body. Adam was breathtakingly beautiful, every inch of him. There was still gauze pressed over each bite mark Nigel had left. He wanted to leave more.

Adam ended up finding it, half under the dresser by the door. Retrieving it, he grabbed a condom from the drawer, before collapsing back onto Nigel, hands trailing up his body, tracing old scars and petting through chest hair until they landed on the bruises left behind on his shoulders last night. He fit his fingers to the bruises and pressed down, leaning down to kiss his way up Nigel's scruffy jaw and to his lips. 

Nigel grabbed for Adam's hips when he joined him, meeting his mouth with soft, sweet kisses. 

"I don't like the idea that someone else had marked you," Adam murmured against Nigel's mouth, "I wish that I owned every mark on your body."

"Then mark me," he growled, "mark me up like I did for you. God, Adam, don't you realize by now? I'd let you do anything you wanted to me. Anything at all."

"Mmm," Adam hummed against him, tongue flickering out to trace the seam of Nigel's mouth. "Anything?" He whispered, more to himself. 

Drawing back, Adam settled on the heels of his feet and drank in the sight of Nigel spread out before him. The man was gorgeous, and Adam wanted to bask in his beauty for the rest of his days, but then his eyes caught the sight of that angry scar running across his left side and he wanted nothing more than to gouge it out with his hands.

Adam shifted, dragging a hand down Nigel's chest, from his clavicle down through his dense chest hair and across to thumb at a nipple. Biting his lower lip, he dug his fingers in, nails clawing down along the scar, tracing it with angry red lines. 

Nigel moaned, chasing after Adam's mouth. He couldn't help a little sound of displeasure when Adam sat up. He wanted Adam here, right up against him. Adam's touch sent a shudder through him. He'd never found his nipples to be particularly sensitive, but when it was Adam… And then Adam's nails caught the scar and Nigel moaned again, arching up beneath him. "Jesus, Adam," he gasped. It wasn't a complaint. Nigel mostly thought of the scar as a patch of dead nerves, but clearly some of them were still alive and kicking. 

"Turn around," Adam rasped, clearing his throat as he traced the scratches he just made. "Please. I want to see my marks."

"Yeah," Nigel gasped, licking his suddenly dry lips, "Yeah, okay."

Nigel rolled onto his stomach, clutching a pillow beneath his head, as if for dear life. He could still feel the ache of scratches against his back. Adam had torn him up. Nigel hoped he would do it again.

Adam admired the job he did to Nigel's back. Trailing his hands over the scabs where he broke skin. Nothing was deep enough to scar, he didn't think he'd be able to scratch Nigel hard enough to scar, but maybe hard enough for Nigel to feel it for a few days, have the scabs rub against his clothes. Remind him of Adam until he could get Nigel under him again and refresh his marks.

Leaning down he trailed kisses along the scratches he left behind, hands gripping onto Nigel's hips, teasing at the band of his boxers. "Can you remove these?" He asked, pressing another kiss to the large bruise on Nigel's lower back before straightening up to pull his own shirt over his head. 

Nigel moaned softly into the pillow, arching his back, his body eager for Adam's touch. "Of course," He murmured, "As long as you do the same." He wriggled underneath Adam, working his boxers off carefully and tossing them to the floor. It had been a while since he did this, but he was as eager as he always was. More so, because it was Adam.

"How am I supposed to penetrate you with my boxers on?" Adam asked with an amused chuckle before stripoing off his boxers. He pressed down against Nigel again, rutting against the cleft of his ass as he scratched his way back up. "You're so beautiful," Adam said nuzzling against his neck before righting himself to tear open the condom and roll it on. Squeezing a generous amount of lube onto his hand, he stroked himself a few times before lining himself up against Nigel's hole. "Relax for me, Nigel."

Nigel moaned again, reaching back to grip at whatever bit of Adam he could reach. He managed to get a hand on his hip, tugging at him, arching his hips back to welcome Adam inside. "Yes," Nigel hissed, pressing his forehead into the pillow as Adam lined up, "God, Adam, please."

Adam pushed in slowly, moaning low as he sank into Nigel's heat. "Oh, Nigel," he gasped, letting out a breath as he bottomed out, hips pressed flush against Nigel's ass. He waited a beat, draping himself over Nigel to press kisses along his jaw, allowing him time to adjust to the feeling of Adam buried inside him.

Nigel's breath caught in his throat. He shuddered beneath Adam, feeling overwhelmingly full, heated where Adam pressed against him. He tilted his head back to encourage more kisses, closing his eyes at all the sensations. After a moment, he shifted, trying to roll his hips back towards Adam.

Adam groaned, pulling back slightly so he could push back in, matching the roll of Nigel's hips. He set a slow, gently rhythm, rocking against Nigel as his hands roamed over Nigel's body, trailing up his arms until he could twine their fingers together.

Nigel moaned in response, letting Adam guide their motions. Adam filled him so slowly, but so deeply, pressing against every spot that made Nigel twitch and writhe against the sheets. Nigel bit at the bedding for lack of something better, concealing a whine as Adam's cock stimulated his prostate.

"Nigel," Adam all but growled, releasing his hands, to pet through sleep mussed hair, until Nigel turned his head. "If you need something to do with your mouth, I have a few ideas." He kissed him roughly, nipping lightly at him.

Nigel panted, opening eagerly for Adam's rough kiss. He didn't know where this rough, aggressive side of Adam had come from, but he was harder than he'd ever been in his life.

Adam kissed him again, before lifting up, off of him, hands settling on Nigel's hips as he picked up the pace. Driving in hard and deep, fingers digging in as he aimed for Nigel's prostate, just to hear him whine again.

Each thrust punched another sharp sound from Nigel's chest, little 'ahs' and gasps, until his voice broke on Adam's name, drawing out into that whine again, high and loud in the quiet bedroom.

"I got you," Adam said, slowing his movements and draping himself over Nigel again. He pressed a kiss to his back, burying himself deep in the warm, thight heat of Nigel for a moment, before pulling out completely to turn him onto his back.

"No!" The protest slipped from Nigel before he could stop himself. He found himself staring up at Adam with a bright red, embarrassed flush across his cheeks. He wanted to hide, but there was nowhere else to go. He felt empty, arching his hips up to try and coax Adam back inside him, to get him to ignore the way he'd made Nigel so desperate and needy.

"No?" Adam asked, head cocked to the side in confusion. "Do you need me to stop?"

Nigel growled and lunged forward, hauling Adam back over him with an arm around his shoulders. "Don't you dare," he said, mouthing around the edges of the gauze on Adam's throat, "Don't you dare stop."

"Oh, ok," Adam said, sliding back into Nigel's welcoming heat in one fluid thrust, drawing back only to push back in at a brutal pace. With one hand, he tangled his fingers into Nigel's hair, pushing his teeth against his throat as he tore off the gauze with the other. He wanted, no needed, Nigel's teeth on him again, breaking skin and claiming him.

Nigel cried out against Adam’s throat, sucking greedily at the newly bared skin. He nipped his way to a fresh spot, high enough that Adam would be wearing a scarf for weeks, and dug his teeth in. He bit hard, marking, trying to return even a fraction of the passion Adam made him feel. He wrapped his legs around Adam’s waist, urging him to keep going as he lapped the blood from his throat.

Adam's movements stuttered, crying out in blissful pain as his whole body tensed with his impending orgasm. With his free hand, he clawed his way down Nigel's chest, leaving his own brand behind, and wrapped it around Nigel's neglected erection.

Nigel met Adam's cry with one of his own, hips jerking as he fucked himself between Adam's fist and his cock, chasing the sensation. His chest was streaked with long, red marks, blood rising to the surface in some places where Adam's nails had caught. "Yes," Nigel hissed, "do it again, I'm so close."

Adam obliged him. Releasing Nigel's hair, he raked his hand down his chest, tracing the marks he made earlier, claiming the scar for his own again. He fucked into Nigel harder, chasing his release as he pumped his hips faster.

Nigel planted his feet on the bed, rolling his hips up in a frantic motion. The whine spilled free again, just as embarrassing and eager as before. Adam's hand brought him over the edge, Nigel spilling over in thick pulses that splashed over some of the marks Adam had left. 

Nigel's release blindsided Adam, the clench of his muscles around made him impossibly tight. He was so very close, when the ringing of his phone dragged him out of his haze. He was confused. Who was calling him so early in the morning? His hips stuttered as understanding slowly dawned upon him, it was Saturday. Saturdays were the days he Skyped Beth, which could only mean it was eight o'clock. "Oh, right," he said, releasing his hold on Nigel's spent penis, he thrust in again, his whole body tensing as he spilled into the condom, buried deep inside Nigel, "Beth."

Nigel came back to himself in a confused rush of breath. He stared up at Adam, blinking in confusion. "What," he said, still trying to calm the racing of his heart, " _ the fuck _ , Adam?" Beth? Who the fuck was Beth? Who said a woman's name while fucking their... random one-night stand, alright fine, but a very  _ male _ random one-night stand.

Adam frowned. He pulled out slowly, trying to ignore the ringing of his phone as he tied off the condom and discarded it. "I'm sorry Nigel," he said, wiping his hand off with a few tissues before passing Nigel one, "but I have to take this."

Nigel scrubbed himself down hard enough to rip the tissues, glaring at Adam's back as he sat up. "You have to what? Why?" Had Adam never heard of fucking  _ cuddling _ after? Nigel was going to hunt down whoever that was on the phone. They better be fucking _ dying. _

"It's Saturday," Adam replied, getting up to fish his phone out of his jeans. As predicted, Beth's picture flashed across the screen. He made his way back onto the bed, settling down against the headboard, next to Nigel as he swiped to accept the call.

That explained absolutely nothing, and Nigel was only slightly mollified by how close Adam sat, close enough for Nigel to wrap an arm around his waist and curl in. Couldn't blame a guy for wanting to be held a little after getting his brains fucked out, right?

Nigel hadn't realized it was a Skype call, and not a regular call, until a dark haired, smiling woman appeared on the screen. " _ Hi, Adam, how was your- What happened to your neck?! _ "

Adam gingerly touched his neck where Nigel bit him, smiling as his fingers came away tacky with slightly congealed blood. "Oh, this," his said, reaching over for a tissue, "it's nothing. Nigel just bit me."

Nigel frowned as Adam leaned away from him, pulling him back in when he came back, but keeping his contact to just his arm, his body politely out of frame. He'd give Adam the illusion of privacy, since he didn't feel up to moving just yet. 

" _ Is Nigel a vampire? _ " Beth said, her voice high, " _ Who on earth... You've never mentioned this guy before! _ "

"Of course Nigel's not a vampire,"Adam said with a furrow in his brow. "Vampires aren't real Beth. Beside, Nigel didn't drink my blood, he just bit me at my behest."

” _ Okay _ ,” Beth said desperately, ” _ But who is Nigel and why are you asking him to  _ **_bite_ ** _ you? _ ”

Nigel rolled his eyes and sank down into the bed, draping his chin onto Adam’s thigh. This conversation was boring (and technically inaccurate, as Nigel had happily lapped up Adam’s blood), and Beth didn’t seem like a very bright girl.

"Oh, Nigel's the man I met last night at speed dating," Adam said with a bright smile, dropping a hand down to card through Nigel's hair. "He's wonderful. We both orgasmed twice in less than an hour last night, and then he came out to see Jupiter with me. And the moon. For an amateur he’s a very fast learner and was even able to identify Copernicus with my guidance. It was all very exciting."

” _ Adam _ !” Beth shrieked, ” _ You can’t just take strange men home! What if he’s like, a serial killer?” _

Nigel’s eyes closed briefly under Adam’s gentle touch, but they popped back open when Beth started yelling. He rolled his eyes again. Obviously he hadn’t murdered Adam yet. Although, if Adam was keeping score... Nigel hid a grin against Adam’s thigh and then rolled onto his stomach, picking at the bandaging on Adam’s thighs until he could press soft little kisses to the bitemarks.

"He's not a serial killer Beth," Adam said squirming under Nigel's ministrations. "He is possibly a drug lord or something, definitely a criminal of sorts, as he did get stabbed during a 'deal gone wrong,' but he has assured me that he's much better at them now, and hasn't been stabbed in a very long time."

Nigel winced. He and Adam were going to have to have some chats about what kind of information Adam shared, if this continued. Sure enough, Beth made a horrified sound akin to nails on a chalkboard. 

” _ Adam! Don’t you know how dangerous that is? Please tell me you didn’t give this guy your address, please tell me you at  _ **_least_ ** _ went to a motel _ .”

Nigel was years too old to listen to people complain about his life choices. He ignored Beth, nuzzling his way up to the apex of Adam’s thighs, licking and kissing his way over Adam’s soft cock, trying to coax out a reaction.

"Nigel's not dangerous," Adam assured, fingers scratching lightly at Nigel's scalp. Nigel was nice. Nigel was kind. Nigel listened when he spoke. Nigel defended him against unwanted advances. Nigel did as he was told, and never once questioned his requests.

Adam smiled, eyes sliding shut as he luxuriated in the feel of Nigel's mouth against his quickly hardening penis. "But if it makes you feel better, I didn't give him my address. But we didn't go to a motel, either."

Damn straight. Nigel would never be a danger to Adam. It was good that Adam knew that. Nigel rewarded him by swallowing him down, bobbing his head gently up and down the length of Adam’s cock. 

Beth sighed.  _ "I guess going to his place is safer than him knowing where you live. But you can’t see him again, Adam. You could get really hurt!” _

"Oh no," Adam gasped, eyes shooting open as feet sought for purchase against the rumpled sheets. He fisted Nigel's hair, a moan escaping him as he caught his breath. "We didn't go to his place. I don't know where his place is, but Nigel would not hurt me unless I asked him to."

Nigel moaned around Adam’s cock, letting Adam hold him where he wanted him. His hands trailed over Adam’s skin, his thighs, the jut of his hipbones. He wanted to take him apart. 

Beth was quiet for a long moment, and when she spoke again, she sounded horrified. ” _ Adam Raki, that’s your sex face! Is he there? Right now?! _ ”

Nigel couldn’t help an irritated growl at the fact that Beth recognized Adam’s expressions. He gave up on subtlety, reaching up to pet over Adam’s chest, his hands visible to the phone camera.

"Yes," Adam hissed, throwing his head back, "Nigel's here, Nigel is... Nigel..." Adam moved to grab at his hand, the phone he forgot he was holding slipped from him. Adam had half a second to register what was happening, and yelped, bucking under the weight of Nigel sprawled over his legs as he tried to catch the phone as it fell.

The phone smacked Nigel in the head. He growled, lifting his head to give Adam a playful nip over his hip bone. "Be nice, darling, if you want me to be nice to you." He lowered his head again, sucking a dark bruise alongside the jut of bone.

Beside him, Beth was shrieking something, Nigel did not particularly care what. It was mostly a horrified rendition of Adam's name, anyway, cries for his attention as Nigel took it all for himself.

"I'm nice," Adam said, rubbing at the spot the phone hit. He watched Nigel for a moment, appreciating the sight of him draped over him, sucking bruises into his flesh. "I showed you the moon."

Nigel hummed thoughtfully. All thoughts of Beth had fled his mind. Which was probably good, as the phone had landed haphazardly half on a bump in the bedding and was giving her a  _ hell _ of a view. 

"You  _ did _ show me the moon," Nigel agreed, trailing kisses up Adam's cock. He sucked messily at the head before swallowing him down again.

Adam moaned, hands finding their way back to Nigel's hair, as he rutted up into his mouth. "Nigel," he whined, his grip tightening, "so good."

Adam had a nagging feeling that he was forgetting something, but it was very hard to think when Nigel was sucking on his penis like that. Nothing else mattered at that moment except the feel of Nigel's mouth around him. Swallowing him down, the muscles of his throat tightening around his head. The feel of those hands, oh god those hands, stroking him, pinching him,  _ hurting him _ . "Mark me, Nigel," Adam gasped, pushing against those hands.

Nigel let Adam thrust however he wanted, pacing himself to Adam's rhythm. He wanted all of him, every piece he could get. He wanted Adam to have everything. He pulled up to suck just at the head as he raked his nails across Adam's skin, coming back up to pinch at his nipples before scraping down again.

"Fuck," Adam cursed, torn between pulling Nigel off so he could press those teeth against his neck again, and finishing in his mouth. "Just like that, Nigel. Fuck, do it again."

Nigel lifted up enough to tease his tongue at the head before sliding back down, swallowing around Adam's length. He pinched hard at his nipples again, twisting slightly before digging his nails into Adam's hips instead, guiding him to thrust into Nigel's mouth.

It was too much and not enough all at the same time. Adam wanted it all. Everything. Everything Nigel was willing to give him and then some. "Nigel," Adam whined again, thrusting wildly into his mouth, his whole body shaking as he chased his second orgasm of the morning. "I need, I need..." Adam didn't know what he needed, his mind simply screamed  _ Nigel _ .

Nigel hauled Adam's hips off the bed, digging his nails into Adam's soft skin. He pressed his face against Adam's skin, drawing him into his throat and swallowing over and over, holding him up with only one hand so the other could scrape patterns into Adam's chest.

Planting his feet onto the bed, Adam arched up to push himself deeper down Nigel's throat. He was so close, his whole body tensed and pulled taut. He let out a scream as Nigel's hand scraped across his chest again, catching his oversensitive nipple. He came hard down Nigel's throat. Losing his balance, he threw his hands out to catch himself and knocked into the discarded phone.

"Oh, fuck, Beth," he gasped, as his hand closed over the phone. "Nigel, we forgot about Beth."

Nigel swallowed everything Adam gave him, and then sat up with a playful glare. "You keep coming with her name on your lips, darling, and I might start to have some hurt feelings. Might not want to bite you anymore." As he said it, though, he planted little biting kisses over the sensitive scrapes on Adam's chest. Then he glanced down at the phone. 

Beth hadn't hung up. She was staring at them both in wide-eyed, shocked horror.

"Don't worry, Nigel," Adam panted, still trying to catch his breath. "You are much better than Beth. My orgasms were never nearly as intense as this when I had sexual intercourse with her. She tends to focus more on her own pleasure, which is fine, because I still managed to find my own release, but I definitely prefer you."

Uncurling his hand, Adam lifted the phone, turning it so that both he and Nigel were in frame. "Hi, Beth, I'm sorry I forgot you were on the line, Nigel can be very distracting. He is very good with his mouth."

Nigel buried his face in Adam's neck and laughed. He couldn't help himself. He snuck a peek at Beth and caught her gaping like a fish, and just barely resisted the urge to stick out his tongue.

" _ That... That was  _ **_cruel_ ** _ , Adam _ ," Beth finally said, " _ This entire thing was cruel. I don't want to talk to you anymore today. Call me when you see sense. _ " The screen went blank. Nigel rolled his eyes. Alright, so it wasn't the nicest thing Adam could have said, but she could have hung up at any time. Nigel pressed a kiss to Adam's neck.

"Sorry I got you yelled at," he said, insincerely, "But I'll never be sorry to get my mouth on you."

Adam stared blankly at the dark screen, running his words over in his head. He wasn't cruel, this whole thing wasn't cruel. "How was I cruel?" Adam asked, settling down onto the bed, pulling Nigel down with him. "I didn't say anything that she didn't already know. Our sex was middling at best, she  _ must _ have known that, right?"

Nigel shrugged, tugging Adam a little closer. "Sometimes it's better for one person than the other. Besides, everyone likes to think they're hot shit in bed. Thankfully,  _ you _ actually  _ are _ . Believe me, I don't go into hookups expecting brilliance, but I'm very happy to have gone home with you, Adam."

"I'm very happy too, Nigel." Adam sunk into Nigel's embrace, enjoying the feel of the man pressed against him, and couldn't help but wonder what he would have to do to have this forever. He wasn't an idiot. He knew this was a one night stand, maybe, maybe not. Either way, Nigel had his own life. Sure Adam had been insistent to Beth that Nigel wasn't dangerous, at least not to him, or so he hoped, but in the end, Nigel was  _ dangerous _ . He was a criminal. He dealt in things his father, and Harlan, and every person in his life had warned him against. And yet, Adam couldn't imagine living out the rest of his life without this man by his side.

"Nigel," Adam said after a moment, "do you think we can get up and get lunch now? I'm very hungry and we skipped breakfast."

Nigel traced his hand gently over Adam's skin, subtly checking each of his scratches. He was simultaneously proud and embarrassed of the marks. He'd lost control a little bit there, though Adam seemed to like it. He was still half-hard, but Adam's comfort immediately took precedence. "Let me take you out to eat?" He suggested. "Call it a second date. And then maybe we can plan a third."

"Oh, okay, yes." Adam shifted, sitting up he took in Nigel, laid out on his bed, one more time before giving him a bright smile. "But we should make it quick, I have still yet to bend you over my couch."

**One month later**

Adam stared at his phone, impatiently tapping at the back of it as he waited for Beth to connect to the call. It was a Saturday, eight in the morning in California, their standing appointment that he had not kept since the day she hung up on him. 

He didn't understand her comments about not calling her until he could 'see sense,' he simply didn't call the past month because he had been so preoccupied with Nigel. Not that he wasn't still preoccupied with Nigel, because the man was there, beside him, waiting patiently for Beth to connect to the call so they could tell her the good news.

Nigel had his arm slung around Adam's waist, nuzzling into his cheek as he waited for Beth to pick up the call. He couldn't help the grin twisting the corner of his mouth. Maybe it was cruel to rub it in, but he couldn't help it if he was happy.

Beth answered the call with a hesitant expression on her face, one that twisted into a hurt frown. " _ Oh _ ," she said. " _ Hi, Adam. Hi... Nigel. _ "

"Hi Beth," Adam chirped, barely able to contain his excitement. "I know it's been a while, but you asked me to call when I saw sense. Honestly, I'm still not sure what that means, but I missed talking to you, and wanted to let you know that Nigel and I got married yesterday."

Beth's face went through a variety of emotions very quickly. A moment of excitement at the fact that Adam had missed her, followed by confusion and then shocked horror. " _ You did what??? _ " She yelled, horrified. " _ Adam! You can't marry a man you just met! _ " She seemed to have forgotten Nigel was sitting right there. He frowned at her, pulling Adam a little closer to his side.

"I didn't just meet Nigel, Beth," Adam said with a frown, leaning into Nigel. "We met a month ago, remember?"

Nigel hid a laugh into Adam's hair as Beth's face turned a funny shade of red. " _ Adam _ ," she hissed, as if she could get quiet enough for Nigel not to hear her, " _ That's a very short period of time. You don't even know him yet! You should date for a while! Get to know each other's friends and family! _ "

"I know him, Beth. And I've met Darko, and he's met Harlan. Besides, I've gotten to know him very well in the past month. I know that he likes to hear me talk, and that he's a very fast learner. Did you know that within a week he learned how to properly navigate my telescope?" Adam said, beaming proudly at his new husband. "He's very good at it."

Nigel kissed Adam's cheek. "Oh, I'm very adept with your telescope," he said, knowing damn well what Beth would hear. But he did love to hear Adam talk. He found that he remembered most of it, too, and that he could impress Adam by doing some research himself. He was getting good at constellations. 

Beth shot Nigel a dirty look, then turned her wide eyes back to Adam. " _ So he's met Harlan? What does Harlan think about this? Did you tell him yet? How's he going to feel about you marrying someone you've only known for a month? _ "

"Oh Harlan likes Nigel a lot. The first time he met Nigel he told me, 'good job, Adam. I'm so happy you found yourself someone who looks at you like you hung the moon and the stars in the sky.' I told him that it was impossible for someone to hang the moon and the stars in the sky. That they are suspended due to the gravitational pull exerted on them by larger objects. The Earth in the moon's case. But he just laughed and clapped me on the back and expressed how happy he was again." 

Adam let out a soft sigh, eyes shining with adoration as he looked toward Nigel again. "Nigel said it is an idiom expressing how incredibly awestruck and in love he is with me. I told him that if that were the case then I guess he's the Earth to my moon, because for me he's the most extraordinary person I've ever met, and holds me in his orbit."

Sometimes, Adam took Nigel's breath away. All the time, actually. Nigel pressed a kiss to his forehead, the best he could do with Beth watching. He wasn't cruel enough to put her through another round out of spite.

Beth, on the other hand, was staring at them both. Her eyes had gone suspiciously watery, and she was staring at Adam as if he was a puzzle she'd only just found the last piece for. " _ Adam _ ," she said, in a slow, shaky voice, " _ Adam, I have to go. But... _ " Her eyes ticked over towards Nigel. He met her gaze head on, staring at her until she blinked and looked away. He couldn't place the emotion he saw there. " _ Congratulations, Adam _ ," Beth whispered.  _ "I'm... I'm very glad you're happy. _ "

"Thank you, Beth," Adam said, lacing his fingers with Nigel's. "For everything. For Nigel. If it hadn't been for you, I never would have taken the job out here. If you had come with me, I probably would have never made it a habit to frequent that cafe. If you hadn't called me on a Thursday night, disrupting my regular routine, I definitely would never have gone on a Friday. I owe you everything, Beth. Talk to you next week?"

Beth was quiet again, staring. Nigel saw a tear well up and felt a strange burst of sympathy, though he kept it to himself. 

” _ You’re welcome, Adam. Yeah, I’ll talk to you next week _ .” the screen went blank. Nigel took the phone from Adam’s hand and set it aside, clasping both of Adam’s hands in his own. 

“Well,” he said, “that could have gone a lot worse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Harlan. (Not that anyone asked, but here's some background)
> 
> Adam 100% invited Harlan to the wedding. Harlan takes one look at Nigel and goes, "yes, this man will take care of my boy."
> 
> Harlan also assumes they've known each other much longer than they did, considering how in tune with each other they are. Neither one of them ever mentions _when_ they met, just how. 
> 
> Also, by the time Harlan is introduced to Nigel, Nigel has already had that talk with Adam about not automatically revealing yup everyone what it is/ was he did. Not to lie if someone were to ask, but to just not openly volunteered the information. Harlan never thought to ask specially what it was Nigel did. 
> 
> Darko, Darko too one look at Adam and clapped Nigel in the back and said congratulations.
> 
> Darko absolutely adores Adam because he can turn Nigel into mush with just one look.


End file.
